Socket wrenches are tools designed to drive an external feature, typically an external hex, with a recess adapted to fit the feature. The typical socket tool is a cylindrical sleeve with a hex recess in one end, the driving end, and a driven end that may have a recess to receive a drive wrench. A socket tool may be used with various drive tools to drive a bolt head or may be used to drive a nut over a threaded portion of a rod or bolt.
In general, a user aligns a socket wrench over a nut or bolt with his hands. Many socket wrenches provide a chamfer on the edge of the drive end to facilitate the alignment. The user generally needs to align the centerline of the socket wrench with the centerline of the nut or bolt by eye, then rotate the socket wrench until the shape of the nut or bolt aligns with the internal shape of the socket wrench.